What Beer to Drink with Spicy Food

As it turns out, beer goes well with lots of food. Sometimes, we choose to pair it with food by using it as a marinade, sometimes we use it to make a sauce, and other times, we just like to have a tasty beverage that accompanies our delicious meal. It can become difficult sometimes to know which beer goes well with which foods. I can shed some light on that. In particular, I can shed light on which beers to pair with spicy foods.

As summer comes into full swing and we have up coming celebrations like Independence Day, I’m sure there are many of you out there who plan to have some sort of gathering. And since spicy food is quite popular with eaters around the world, I find it necessary to educate you about pairing with that type of food.

First, it is necessary to differentiate between food that is “spicy” and food that is “hot”. Hot should only refer to temperature. A freshly served burger from the grill is hot, cocoa in the winter time is hot, the temperature outside on a summer day at noon is HOT. Spicy is the sensation you feel on your tongue when eating food that is seasoned with flavorings that pack heat. For example, enchiladas are spicy, although our tongue may actually heat up from eating them. Also, not all “spicy” foods are “hot”. Sometimes, spicy means well seasoned. But, you get the gist.

Back to the beer. When eating spicy foods, it is best to drink beers that are more malty in flavor. Any light lager will do the trick of balancing the spiciness on your palate with the cool of the drink. Most Mexican beers are lagers or light lagers for this reason. I suggest a Corona Light with Lime in a frosted mug (the lime also helps because citrus blocks pain receptors). Amber Ales also work. If you want to go for an Amber Ale, Fat Tire is my personal recommendation. If you don’t want a malty beer, be sure to get one with a good bit of residual sugar to make the pain a little sweeter. Adios, my friends.